Takeru And Hikari
by PoonxD
Summary: A Romeo And Juliet Rewrite. Focuses On Takari.
1. Character List

**Character List**

**Takeru Ishida****–**The son and heir of Ishida and Lady Ishida. A young man of about sixteen, Takeru is handsome, intelligent, and sensitive. Though impulsive and immature, his idealism and passion make him an extremely likable character. He lives in the middle of a violent feud between his family and the Yagamis, but he is not at all interested in violence. His only interest is love and he goes to extremes to prove the seriousness of his feelings. He secretly marries Hikari, the daughter of his father's worst enemy; he happily takes abuse from Taichi; and he would rather die than live without his beloved. Takeru is also an affectionate and devoted friend to his relative Yamato, Willis, and Friar Lawrence.

**Hikari Yagami****–**The daughter of Yagami and Lady Yagami. A beautiful thirteen-year-old girl, Hikari begins the play as a naïve child who thought little about love and marriage, but she grows up quickly upon falling in love with Takeru, the son of her family's great enemy. Because she is a girl in an aristocratic family, she has none of the freedom Takeru has to roam around the city, climb over walls in the middle of the night, or get into swordfights. Nevertheless, she shows amazing courage in trusting her entire life and future to Takeru, even refusing to believe the worst reports about him after he gets involved in a fight with her cousin. Hikari's closest friend and confidant is Nurse Mimi, though she's willing to shut Nurse Mimi out of her life the moment Nurse Mimi turns against Takeru.

**Friar Lawrence****–**A Franciscan friar, friend to both Takeru and Hikari. Kind, civic-minded, a proponent of moderation, and always ready with a plan, Friar Lawrence secretly marries the impassioned lovers in hopes that the union might eventually bring peace to Odaiba. As well as being a Catholic holy man, Friar Lawrence is also an expert in the use of seemingly mystical potions and herbs.

**Willis****–**A kinsman to Prince Gennai, and Takeru's close friend. Willis overflows with imagination, wit, and, at times, a strange, biting satire and brooding fervor. Willis loves wordplay, especially sexual double entendres. He can be quite hotheaded, and hates people who are affected, pretentious, or obsessed with the latest fashions. He finds Takeru's romanticized ideas about love tiresome, and tries to convince Takeru to view love as a simple matter of sexual appetite.

**Nurse Mimi Tachikawa****–**Hikari's nurse, the woman who breast-fed Hikari when she was a baby and has cared for Hikari her entire life. A vulgar, long-winded, and sentimental character, Nurse Mimi provides comic relief with her frequently inappropriate remarks and speeches. But, until a disagreement near the play's end, Nurse Mimi is Hikari's faithful confidante and loyal intermediary in Hikari's affair with Takeru. She provides a contrast with Hikari, given that her view of love is earthly and sexual, whereas Hikari is idealistic and intense. Nurse Mimi believes in love and wants Hikari to have a nice-looking husband, but the idea that Hikari would want to sacrifice herself for love is incomprehensible to her.

**Taichi Yagami****–**A Yagami, Hikari's cousin on her mother's side. Vain, fashionable, supremely aware of courtesy and the lack of it, he becomes aggressive, violent, and quick to draw his sword when he feels his pride has been injured. Once drawn, his sword is something to be feared. He loathes Ishidas.

**Yagami****–**The patriarch of the Yagami family, father of Hikari, husband of Lady Yagami, and enemy, for unexplained reasons, of Ishida. He truly loves his daughter, though he is not well acquainted with Hikari's thoughts or feelings, and seems to think that what is best for her is a "good" match with Daisuke. Often prudent, he commands respect and propriety, but he is liable to fly into a rage when either is lacking.

**Lady Yagami****–**Hikari's mother, Yagami's wife. A woman who herself married young (by her own estimation she gave birth to Hikari at close to the age of fourteen), she is eager to see her daughter marry Daisuke. She is an ineffectual mother, relying on Nurse Mimi for moral and pragmatic support.

**Ishida****–**Takeru's father, the patriarch of the Ishida clan and bitter enemy of Yagami. At the beginning of the play, he is chiefly concerned about Takeru's melancholy.

**Lady Ishida****–**Takeru's mother, Ishida's wife. She dies of grief after Takeru is exiled from Odaiba.

**Daisuke Motomiya****–**A kinsman of Prince Gennai, and the suitor of Hikari most preferred by Yagami. Once Yagami has promised him he can marry Hikari, he behaves very presumptuous toward, acting as if they were already married.

**Yamato Ishida****–**Ishida's nephew, Takeru's cousin and thoughtful friend, he makes a genuine effort to defuse violent scenes in public places, though Willis accuses him of having a nasty temper in private. He spends most of the play trying to help Takeru get his mind off Catherine, even after Takeru has fallen in love with Hikari.

**Prince Gennai****–**The Prince of Odaiba. A kinsman of Willis and Daisuke. As the seat of political power in Odaiba, he is concerned about maintain the public peace at all costs.

**Friar John****–**A Franciscan friar charged by Friar Lawrence with taking the news of Hikari's false death to Takeru in Highton View Terrace. Friar John is held up in a quarantined house, and the message never reaches Takeru.

**Cody Hida****–**Takeru's dedicated servant, who brings Takeru the news of Hikari's death, unaware that her death is a ruse.

**Sam Ichijouji** and **Ken Ichijouji****–**Two servants of the house of Yagami, who, like their master, hate the Ishidas. At the outset of the play, they successfully provoke some Ishida men into a fight.

**Izzy Izumi****–**Ishida's servant, who fights with Sam and Ken in the first scene of the play.

**The Apothecary****–**An apothecary in Highton View Terrace. Had he been wealthier, he might have been able to afford to value his morals more than money, and refused to sell poison to Takeru.

**Joe Kido****–**A Yagami servant who invites guests to Yagami's feast and escorts Nurse Mimi to meet with Takeru. He is illiterate, and a bad singer.

**Catherine****–**The woman with whom Takeru is infatuated at the beginning of the play. Catherine never appears onstage, but it is said by other characters that she is very beautiful and has sworn to live a life of chastity.

**The Chorus****–**The Chorus is a single character who functions as a narrator offering commentary on the play's plot and themes.


	2. The Prologue

**The Prologue**

_The _**Corus**_ enters._

**Chorus**

In the beautiful city of Odaiba, where our story takes place, a long-standing hatred between two families erupts into new violence, and citizens stain their hands with the blood of their fellow citizens. Two unlucky children of these enemy families become lovers and commit suicide. Their unfortunate deaths put an end to their parents' feud. For the next two hours, we will watch the story of their doomed love and their parents' anger, which nothing but the children's deaths could stop. If you listen to us patiently, we'll make up for everything we've left out in this prologue onstage.

_The _**Corus**_ exits._


	3. Act One Scene 1

**Act One Scene 1**

**Sam**_ and _**Ken**_, servants of the Yagami family, enter carrying swords and small shields._

**Sam**

Ken, I swear, we can't let them humiliate us. We won't take their garbage.

**Ken**

(teasing **Sam**) No, because then we'd be garbage-men.

**Sam**

What I mean is, if they make us angry we'll pull out our swords.

**Ken**

Maybe you should focus on pulling yourself out of trouble, Sam.

**Sam**

I hit hard when I'm angry.

**Ken**

(Ken continually implies that Sam isn't as tough as he's acting) But it's hard to make you angry.

**Sam**

One of those dogs from the Ishida house can make me angry.

**Ken**

Angry enough to run away. You won't stand and fight.

**Sam**

A dog from that house will make me angry enough to take a stand. If I pass one of them on the street, I'll take the side closer to the wall and let him walk in the gutter.

**Ken**

That means you're the weak one, because weaklings get pushed up against the wall.

**Sam**

You're right. That's why girls get pushed up against walls**–**they're weak. So what I'll do is push the Ishida men into the street and the Ishida women up against the wall.

**Ken**

The fight is between our masters, and we men who work for them.

**Sam**

It's all the same. I'll be a harsh master to them. After I fight then men, I'll be nice to the women**–**I'll cut off their heads.

**Ken**

("Maidenhead" virginity.) Cut off their heads? You mean their maidenheads?

**Sam**

Cut off their heads, take their maidenheads**–**what-ever. Take my remark in whichever sense you like.

**Ken**

The women you rape are the ones who'll have to "sense" it.

**Sam**

They'll feel me as long as I can keep an erection. Everybody knows I'm a nice piece of flesh.

**Ken**

(They're joking about Sam's private parts) It's a good thing you're not a piece of fish. You're dried and shriveled like salted fish.

**Izzy**_ and another servant of the Ishidas enter._

Pull out your tool now. These guys are from the house of Ishida.

**Sam**

I have my naked sword out. Fight, I'll back you up.

**Ken**

How will you back me up**–**by turning your back and running away?

**Sam**

Don't worry about me.

**Ken**

No, really. I _am_ worried about you!

**Sam**

Let's not break the law by starting a fight. Let them start something.

**Ken**

I'll frown at them as they pass by, and they can react however they want.

**Sam**

(Biting the thumb is a gesture of disrespect.) You mean however they dare. I'll bite my thumb at them. That's an insult, and if they let me get away with it they'll be dishonored. (**Sam**_ bites his thumb._)

**Izzy**

Hey, are you biting your thumb at us?

**Sam**

I'm biting my thumb.

**Izzy**

Are you biting your thumb at us?

**Sam**

(_aside to_ **Ken**) Is the law on our side if I say yes?

**Ken**

(_aside to_ **Sam**) No.

**Sam**

(_to_ **Izzy**) No, sir, I'm not biting my thumb at you, but I am biting my thumb.

**Ken**

Are you trying to start a fight?

**Izzy**

Start a fight? No, sir.

**Sam**

If you want to fight, I'm your man. My employer is as good as yours.

**Izzy**

But he's not better than mine.

**Sam**

Well then.

**Yamato**_ enters._

**Ken**

(_speaking so that only _**Sam**_ can hear_) Say "better." Here comes one of my employer's relatives.

**Sam**

(_to _**Izzy**) Yes, "better," sir.

**Izzy**

You lie.

**Sam**

Pull out your swords, if you're men. Ken, remember how to slash.

_They fight._

**Yamato**

(_pulling out his sword_) Break it up, you fools. Put your swords away. You don't know what you're doing.

**Taichi**_ enters._

**Taichi**

What? You've pulled out your sword to fight with these worthless servants? Turn around, Yamato, and look at the man who's going to kill you.

**Yamato**

I'm only trying to keep the peace. Either put away your sword or use it to help me stop this fight.

**Taichi**

What? You take out your sword and then talk about peace? I hate the word peace like I hate hell, all Ishidas, and you. Let's go at it, coward!

**Yamato**_ and _**Taichi**_ fight. Three or four _**Citizens**_ of the watch enter with clubs and spears._

**C****itizens**

Use your clubs and spears! Hit them! Beat them down! Down with the Yagamis! Down with the Ishidas!

**Yagami**_ enters in his gown, together with his wife, _**Lady Yagami**_._

**Yagami**

What's this noise? Give me my long sword! Come on!

**Lady Yagami**

A crutch, you need a crutch–why are you asking for a sword?

**Ishida**_ enters with his sword drawn, together with his wife, _**Lady Ishida**_._

**Yagami**

I want my sword. Old Ishida is here, and he's waving his sword around just to make me mad.

**Ishida**

Yagami, you villain! (_his wife holds him back_) Don't stop me. Let me go.

**Lady Ishida**

You're not taking one step toward an enemy.

**Prince Gennai**_ enters with his escort._

**Prince Gennai**

(_shouting at the rioters_) You rebels! Enemies of the peace! Men who turn their weapons against their own neighbors–They won't listen to me?–You there! You men, you beasts, who satisfy your anger with fountains of each others' blood! I'll have you tortured if you don't put down your swords and listen to your angry prince. (**Ishida**_, _**Yagami**_, and their followers throw down their weapons._) Three times now riots have broken out in this city, all because of a casual word from you, old Yagami and Ishida. Three times the peace has been disturbed in our street, and Odaiba's old citizens have had to take off their dress clothes and pick up rusty old spears to part you. If you ever cause a disturbance on our street again, you'll pay for it with your lives. Everyone else, go away for now. (_to _**Yagami**) You, Yagami, come with me. (_to _**Ishida**) Ishida, this afternoon come to File Island, the court where I deliver judgments, and I'll tell you what else I want from you. As for the rest of you, I'll say this once more: go away or be put to death.

_Everyone exits except _**Ishida**_, _**Lady Ishida**_, and _**Yamato**_._

**Ishida**

Who started this old fight up again? Speak, nephew. Were you here when it started?

**Yamato**

Your servants were fighting your enemy's servants before I got here. I drew my sword to part them. Right then, that hothead Taichi showed up with his sword ready. He taunted me and waved his sword around, making the air hiss. As we were trading blows, more and more people showed up to join the fight, until Prince Gennai came and broke everyone up.

**Lady Ishida**

Oh, where's Takeru? Have you seen him today? I'm glad he wasn't here for this fight.

**Yamato**

Madam, I had a lot on my mind an hour before dawn this morning, so I went for a walk. Underneath the Sycamore grove that grows on the west side of the city, I saw your son taking an early-morning walk. I headed toward him, but he saw me coming and hid in the woods. I thought he must be feeling the same way I was–wanting to be alone and tired of his company. I figured he was avoiding me, and I was perfectly happy to leave him alone and keep to myself.

**Ishida**

He's been seen there many mornings, crying tears that add drops to the morning dew and making a cloudy day cloudier with his sighs. But as soon as the sun rises in the east, my sad son comes home to escape the light. He locks himself up alone in his bedroom, shuts his windows to keep out the beautiful daylight, and makes himself an artificial night. This mood of his is going to bring bad news, unless someone smart can fix what's bothering him.

**Yamato**

My noble uncle, do you know why he acts this way?

**Ishida**

I don't know, and he won't tell me.

**Yamato**

Have you done everything you could to make him tell you the reason?

**Ishida**

I've tried, and many of our friends have tried to make him talk, but he keeps his thoughts to himself. He doesn't want any friend but himself, and though I don't know whether he's a _good_ friend to himself, he certainly keeps his own secrets. He's like a flower bud that won't open itself up to the world because it's been poisoned from within by parasites. If we could only find out why he's sad, we'd be as eager to help him as we were to learn the reason for his sadness.

**Takeru**_ enters._

**Yamato**

Look–here he comes. If you don't mind, please step aside. He'll either have to tell me what's wrong or else tell me no over and over.

**Ishida**

I hope you're lucky enough to hear the true story by sticking around. (_to his wife_) Come, madam, let's go.

**Ishida**_ and _**Lady Ishida**_ exit._

**Yamato**

Good morning, cousin.

**Takeru**

Is it that early in the day?

**Yamato**

It's only just now nine o' clock.

**Takeru**

Oh my, time goes by slowly when you're sad. Was that my father who left here in such a hurry?

**Yamato**

It was. What's making you so sad and your hours so long?

**Takeru**

I don't have the thing that makes time fly.

**Yamato**

You're in love?

**Takeru**

Out.

**Yamato**

Out of love?

**Takeru**

I love someone. She doesn't love me.

**Yamato**

It's sad. Love looks like a nice thing, but it's actually very rough when you experience it.

**Takeru**

What's sad is that love is supposed to be blind, but it can still make you do whatever it wants. So, where should we eat? (_seeing blood_) Oh my! What fight happened here? No, don't tell me–I know all about it. This fight has a lot to do with hatred, but it has more to do with love. O brawling love! O loving hate! Love that comes from nothing! Sad happiness! Serious foolishness! Beautiful things muddled together into an ugly mess! 

Love is heavy and light, bright and dark, hot and cold, sick and healthy, asleep and awake–it's everything except what it is! This is the love I feel, though no one loves me back. Are you laughing?

**Yamato**

No, cousin, I'm crying.

**Takeru**

Good man, why are you crying?

**Yamato**

I'm crying because of how sad you are.

**Takeru**

Yes, this is what love does. My sadness sits heavy in my chest, and you want to add your own sadness to mine so there's even more. I have too much sadness already and now you're going to make me sadder by feeling sorry for you. Here's what love is: a smoke made out of lovers' sighs. When the smoke clears, love is a fire burning in your lover's eyes. If you frustrate love, you get an ocean made out of lover's tears. What else is love? It's a wise form of madness. It's a sweet lozenge that you choke on. Goodbye, cousin.

**Yamato**

Wait. I'll come with you. If you leave me like this, you're doing me wrong.

**Takeru**

I'm not myself. I'm not here. This isn't Takeru–he's somewhere else.

**Yamato**

Tell me seriously, who is the one you love?

**Takeru**

Seriously? You mean I should groan and tell you?

**Yamato**

Groan? No. But tell me seriously who it is.

**Takeru**

You wouldn't tell a sick man he "seriously" has to make his will–it would just make him worse. Seriously, cousin, I love a woman.

**Yamato**

I guessed that already when I guessed you were in love.

**Takeru**

Then you were right on target. The woman I love is beautiful.

**Yamato**

A beautiful target is the one that gets hit the fastest.

**Takeru**

(Cupid, the Roman god of love, shoots arrows at humans that make them fall in love. Diana is the Roman goddess of virginity and hunting.) Well, you're not on target there. She refuses to be hit by Cupid's arrow. She's as clever as Diana, and shielded by the armor of chastity. She can't be touched by the weak and childish arrows of love. She 

won't listen to words of love, or let you look at her with loving eyes, or open her lap to receive gifts of gold. She's rich in beauty, but she's also poor, because when she dies her beauty will be destroyed with her.

**Yamato**

So she's made a vow to be a virgin forever?

**Takeru**

Yes she has, and by keeping celibate, she wastes her beauty. If you starve yourself of sex you can't ever have children, and so your beauty is lost to future generations. She's too beautiful and too wise to deserve heaven's blessing by making me despair. She's sworn off love, and that promise has left me alive but dead, living only to talk about it now.

**Yamato**

Take my advice. Don't think about her.

**Takeru**

Teach me to forget to think!

**Yamato**

Do it by letting your eyes wander freely. Look at other beautiful girls.

**Takeru**

That will only make me think more about how beautiful _she_ is. Beautiful women like to wear black masks over their faces–those black masks only make us think about how beautiful they are underneath. A man who goes blind can't forget the precious eyesight he lost. Show me a really beautiful girl. Her beauty is like a note telling me where I can see someone even more beautiful. Goodbye. You can't teach me to forget.

**Yamato**

I'll show you how to forget, or else I'll die owing you that lesson.

_They exit._


End file.
